Madelyn rinsed and shook her hands, "I might need to rest; I'm feeling seasick.” "Okay." Hugue noticed Madelyn hesitating, so he decided to leave with the waiter.
With her chin in one hand, Alice waved a fork toward Zach, "Try this. It's Venturian food. You've had it before, right?" Zach gave no reaction but turned his attention to a tall, burly man in a white chef's uniform.
The waiter announced, "The chef is here, Miss Girard." Alice raised her eyebrows, "l was expecting someone from Venturia." Hugue said, "A lady from Venturia taught me the walnut cake. She's sick and says she's sorry she couldn't come.” Spotting Zach starting to move away, Alice asked, "Where are you headed, Zach?" At the beginning of the cruise, Madelyn felt perfectly fine. But as the ship started to rock more heavily, she became sick and rushed to the restroom. When she emerged, looking drained, she walked down a dimly lit hallway. There, she noticed a woman in a fancy dress and a fallen hat nearby. As Madelyn bent down to pick it up, she caught sight of the woman pulling a man into a dark corner. Their whispers reached Madelyn's ears. The woman's confident, alluring voice was clear, "Your pricks so huge; don't you want it, Zach?" Madelyn froze, catching her breath. It felt like a punch to the chest, Zach?" She had not seen him in years, ‘No way! Why is he here? He's supposed to be in Ventropolis!" Her heart raced.
"Miss Girard, you're out of line." Madelyn's eyes widened at the sound of the deep, familiar voice, and the hat in her hands slipped to the floor. Overwhelmed by memories and sensing someone nearby, panic surged within her. She darted away, the cruise ship's sudden jolt echoing her urgency.
Nearby, Alice stumbled into Zach, who steadied her. He peeked through a nearby doors crack, spotting a figure — it looked like Madelyn — falling and then rushing off.
Later, in the staff locker room, Madelyn hurriedly stuffed items from a locker into her bag. With the banquet winding down, Lila walked in. "Madelyn, where are you headed?" she asked.